My fondest olfactory memories of childhood are of when my mom would bake cinnamon and sugar stuffed apples - yum! So when local chiropractor Dave Dubyak called me with a desperate need for apple pie contest entries, I decided it was time for my own house to be filled with the mouth-watering smells of cooked apples and my most favorite spice, cinnamon.

Buying a margarita from the Active 20-30 Club booth at the Stanislaus County Fair offers customers more than just a cold and delicious treat. The profits from the fair booth help the club give back to the community in a variety of ways, with their biggest project a Christmas shopping trip for underprivileged children.

"Pray for Rain" signs are a common sight on the country roads in Turlock and around the region, a visual reminder of local farmers' fears about the continued lack of precipitation. Although many are aware that California is in the midst of a drought - the third most severe on record - the consequences have not yet been fully realized here locally. A new report from the University of California, Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, however, paints a gruesome picture that cannot be ignored.

The drought that has encompassed the state in the past three years triggering heated discussions on the use of water resources was brought close to home on Tuesday at the Turlock Irrigation District Board of Directors meeting.

Juliette Guiliacci and her father Dale left the Stanislaus County Fair on Saturday night with more than just memories. Juliette was the winner of the Kansas concert text contest, her prize: a signed guitar from the band.

Spoof meets serious in the Stanislaus County Library's summer event program that allows teenagers to become informed on ways to prepare for safety in the face of an unlikely disaster: a zombie apocalypse.